Device for loading trucks



J. S. WHITE DEVICE FOR LOADING TRUCKS I Filed-Aug. 1.8, 1924 May 12, 1925;

.mvENToR CC`1.s.wHmz BY 5 f ATTORNEY Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOHN S. WHITE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR LOADING TRUCKS.

Application filed August 18, 1924. Serial No. 732,598.

To ZZ tlf/wm it may Concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN S. IVHrrE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States of America, have invented a certain new and useful Device for Loading' Trucks, of which the following is such a full, clear,-and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a loading device for trucks or vans and particularly to one of such construction that it may not only be readily attached to trucks and vans of types now in use, but may be easily operated, and which will, in addition to serving as a loading device, also serve as an end gate for the vehicle.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate two forms of loading device made in accordance with my invention together with a portion of a truck or van to which the same is applied, Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the hoisting drums; Figure 3 is a detail sectional view sho-wing the means for adjusting the height of the lifting shoe; Figure 4 is a rear elevation; and Figure 5 is a side elevation showing a modification.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, 10 indicates the body. of the truck or van to which my device is applied. Projecting downwardly from the rear end of the body 10 are a pair of supporting arms 1l carrying a rock shaft 12 for pivotally mounting a pair of brackets 13. Secured to the brackets 13 are the hoisting levers 14C which are so positioned as to lie outside of the body of the van and may thus be made of sufiicient length to provide ample leverage. In order that the height of the lifting shoe 15 may be varied to load not only from the ground level but also from low platforms or the like above the ground level, I connect the levers 111- to the brackets 13 by means of bolts 16 passing through slots 17 in flanges 18 on the inner sides of the levers, as shown in Figure 3. It will be evident that by this construction the height of the shoe may be adjusted to meet the conditions under which the van is loaded.

Pivoted to the arms 111 at 20 is the loading apron 21 which may either consist of a sheet of metal or may be made in lattice form, as shown in Figure 4;. This apron slides upon the rear end of the van which is preferably provided at this point with a roller 22 (Figure 1) to reduce friction. In loading the van the shoe 15 is forced under the article to be raised and the levers 14 drawn down into the position indicated at 14 which will elevate the article into position to be pushed into the van. After the front part of the van is filled with heavy articles the rear part may be filled with lighter articles and the apron 21 swung into the position indicated at 21 to form an end gate. It is held in this position byA any suitable latch mechanism (not shown).

rIhe levers 14 may be drawn down into the position 1&1 in various ways. In the drawings I have shown the levers connected by ropes or cables 25 to hoisting drums 26. These drums are rigidly mounted on ashaft 27, supported from the body 10 by hangers 28 and each consists of a air of disks separated a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the rope or cable 25, so that the leverage will be greatest at the beginning of the hoisting movement and will decrease,

while the speed of the levers will increase, 5

with continued movement. Motion may be imparted to the drum by a crank arm 29.

In Figure 5 I have shown a'modiication in which the apron 21 is replaced by an apron 30 pivoted to the body at the point 32. The lower end of the apron, in this form of device, rests on a roller 31 carried by the levers 14, and the shoe 15 carried on the outer end of the apron instead of the levers. The operation of this form is substantially the same as that above described. lVhen the levers 14 are moved into the position 14 the apron 30 is raised to the position 30 to load the article, and the apron may be swung up into the position 30 to form an end gate.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehicle body, of a hoisting lever pivoted to said body at a pointbelow its bottom, means for actuating said lever, and a loading apron operated by said lever, said apron being pivoted at one end llU and having sliding contact with one of said first named parts.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a vehicle body, of a pair of levers adjustably and rpivotally carried thereby, means for actuating said levers, and a loading apron pivotedvto said levers.

ln a device of the class described, the combination With a vehicle body, of a hoisting lever provided with a lifting shoe, a loading` apron pivoted to s aid lever, and means for operating said lever to move said apron, said apron being adapted to fold against the vehicle body and `i'orm an end gate tor the vehicle When the lever is in substantially horizontal position.

et. n a device of the class described, the

combination with a vehicle body, of a pair of brackets pivoted to said body at a point below its bottom, actuated levers adjustably secured to said brackets, a loading apron lhaving pivotal movement independent of the bracket pivots and cooperatingl with the levers, and means for actuating the levers.

shoe, a loading apron pivoted to saidlevers,

and means for actuating said levers.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this the 15th day of August, 1924.

J. S. WHITE. 

